Do Not Disturb: Mode

I was really excited about getting Dr. Tommy Wood on the show. This topic is close to my heart with both my parents having Parkinsons disease, and my Mom passing away with it a couple of years ago. Not only is Dr. Tommy an authority on this topic, he communicates it extremely well, and is also at the University of Washington, which makes him a neighbor. Dr. Tommy Wood is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, where his research focuses on brain health across the lifespan. This includes t...

Sean has become a good friend and it’s taken me too long to get him on this podcast. His has built a very successful business in Active Life and we dive into what it takes to become successful and build a great career in the fitness industry.Dr. Sean Pastuch, DC, grew up around the fitness, health, and wellness industry. And when he graduated Chiro school, he ended up opening a clinic and a CrossFit gym. He didn’t want to be that Chiro who tells you, “You need to this exercise and be on “X” program.” Then, pat you on the back and say see you next week.He works with people and athletes, who don’t want to deal with pain and injury anymore. And at the same time, don’t want to stop their training or don’t want to keep modifying their workouts every time there’s a workout that has overhead movements.With hands-on experience running a gym that does functional movements and treating people with injuries or previous injuries, which surface from having to move functionally, Sean started getting busier. And because of his unique approach, he also started getting requests from clients that used to see him but moved to another city asking for workout programs.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> Connection is key to ideation and leadership, (only) sitting behind a computer is not the way to build your career.=> Sean shares how Luka said to be “Omnipresent” and doing that opened up opportunities.=> Chronic pain affects a significant portion of the population and there’s opportunities to build those skills and benefit from solving those problems.=> The fitness industry needs to address chronic pain effectively, something that isn’t taught much through governing bodies.=> Productivity is linked to well-being and pain management; getting people out of pain is VERY valuable.=> Successful coaches must be hardworking, curious, and client-centric - the foundation for any good coach.=> Continuous learning is essential for growth in coaching; Sean and Luka discuss what they look for in potential. => Effective marketing messaging is crucial for business success - if you’re not clear, or if you confuse, you lose. => Building relationships can lead to valuable connections and opportunities; here’s our blueprint to connect with the best of the best.=> Assess the value of your service on a scale of 1 to 5 with these three questions (this is KEY for the right market).=> How to understand the demand for your service and the competition.=> Avoid falling for guru marketing schemes.=> Success is not just about money; it's about fulfillment (diving into the PERMA model and why it matters in your business)=> Skill development is crucial for career advancement, what skills are you currently building to increase your stock?=> Confidence comes from competence and proof of success; how we build our teams up.=> Leverage your network for support and knowledge; how Sean connected with Jesse Itzler=> Surround yourself with successful and inspiring individuals that raise your standard.LINKS & RESOURCES:Dr. Sean Pastuch website  https://drseanpastuch.com/Active Life Professional https://activelifeprofessional.com/about-us/Dr. Sean Pastuch Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drseanpastuch/Super Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos

Finally got my Balkan brother Mladen Jovanovic on the podcast to talk about agile periodization, constraint based coaching, coaching principles and how to think “bottom up” and not just “top down” when it comes to training clients. We also dive into best approaches to open a gym with a small group training model. Mladen Jovanovic is a physical preparation coach from Belgrade, Serbia. He has worked internationally with various clubs and teams and is one of the leading minds in sport training. His knowledge of both science and technology is very impressive, and he really has a great grasp on training theory.Coach Jovanovic was involved in physical preparation of professional, amateur and recreational athletes of various ages in sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, martial arts and tennis.Mladen’s articles, interviews, articles, products and services can be found on his website at Complementary Training. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> What is agile periodization and how does it apply to sports performance training with athletes as well as with general population clients.=> How does a coach build a program that actually gets better or more refined when things go wrong—such as injuries or scheduling conflicts—rather than falling apart?=> One of Mladen’s principles is being a 'minimalist to be a maximalist'. How can a coach determine the minimum dose of training needed to move the needle without overtaxing an athlete's recovery.=> Agile Periodization borrows heavily from software development. How do concepts like 'Iterative Planning' and 'Responding to Change over Following a Plan' practically change the way a coach writes a training block.=> You talk about the tension between long-term goals and daily readiness. How does Agile Periodization allow a coach to maintain a 'North Star' while remaining flexible enough to pivot based on how an athlete feels that morning.=> Client autonomy and preferences and how much they influence a training sessions and training block, Mladen and Luka discuss examples in the real world to help you become a better coach.=> Instead of complex algorithms, Mladen often advocates for simple heuristics. What are 2 or 3 'rules of thumb' every gym owner or coach should use to decide if a session should be pushed or pulled back.=> How a training program is a story we tell client and why is the 'completion ritual' or marking milestones so important for client buy-in and long-term satisfaction.=> Why the constraint of coaching can many times be space, equipment, and training schedule, which means the program design should be filtered “bottom up” rather than “top down”=> For gym owners, long-term planning can feel impossible with high member churn. How can they apply 'Agile' principles to their group programming to keep it effective for a wide variety of skill levels - Luka dives into his small group training model.=> Mladen is opening a gym, Luka gives his insights on the training model for the ability of the gym to make an impact on clients while also being successful and profitable.LINKS & RESOURCES:Mladen Jovanovic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/physical_prep/Mladen Website: https://complementarytraining.com/Vigor Ground Fitness Gym https://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/Super Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos

I’ve read every one of Brad’s books and his latest “The Way of Excellence” is my favorite (which says a lot since I’ve got incredible value from all of them). This is Brad’s second appearance on the podcast and I’m always grateful for our conversations and the insights and clarity he shares.In this episode of the Brad and Luka delve into the concept of excellence, exploring its biological roots, the importance of grit, and the journey of mastery. They discuss the significance of finding one's fit in coaching, the pitfalls of the arrival fallacy, and the necessity of setting meaningful goals. The conversation also touches on the balance between pushing through challenges and knowing when to rest, the role of discipline, and the power of focus in achieving excellence. Additionally, they highlight the value of patience and wisdom in long-term success, the future of performance enhancement, and the critical role of youth sports in developing character and resilience.Brad is the author of the books The Way of Excellence, Master of Change and The Practice of Groundednessand coauthor of the books Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox.  He writes about these concepts on The Growth Equation, his popular blog and multimedia platform. He is on faculty at the University of Michigan’s graduate school of public health, the same institution from which he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees.  He lives in Asheville, NC, with his family.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> Excellence needs to be reclaimed from misconceptions, first and foremost; here’s what that means.=> Excellence is NOT winning at all costs, a 37-step morning routine or a perfect diet, the highest performers say excellence is _. => The pursuit of excellence is a biological drive and natural to us, but here is what is blocking it for you and how to unlock it.=> The systems that hack our brain and deprive us from the feeling of aliveness and fulfillment, what you MUST avoid.=> Grit is necessary for mastery and long-term success. But before there is grit, there needs to be “fit” or it won’t work out.=> Avoid the arrival fallacy by focusing on the journey, not just the destination. Sure you’ve heard it before, but here’s what research shows that will blow your mind. => Set goals that align with your personal values and aspirations otherwise your progress could make you feel longing and emptiness.=> Are SMART goals the best way to set goals or is there a better way Brad shares what he advises the highest performers.=> Why the “1% better every day” mentality can steer you wrong and what actually happens when you grow and improve.=> Balance is an illusion; focus on minimum effective doses in life in certain areas of life while you pursue excellence in others (discover what the best in the world do).=> In the long term, excellence starts to look a lot like love, here’s what that means and why you should listen.=> How some of the best performances come after feeling like crap, and why you need to have “activation energy.”=> When to say “fuck it, let it rip” and when to say “I need to rest and recover”, and why both are very important. => At the beginning motivation comes from chasing metrics, but after a while the best driver is _______ (most people will change their mindset when they hear this).=> Why phones can take away our connection and why you have to create boundaries, what the research shows, and strategies to improve your life and being present.=> What is algorithmic mass distraction, how it’s ruining our lives, and how we fight it with environmental design. => Why you shouldn’t train with an app, here’s how to improve your training experience and get more PR’s.=> Arrogance is loud, confidence is quiet, and how to convince yourself (evidence) you’re great at what you do. LINKS & RESOURCES:The Way of Excellence (Brad Stulberg)Brad's Website & InstagramVigor Ground Fitness Gym Super Coach Mentorship Luka's YouTube Channel